Just read something funny about Rafer (in Chinese) I want to share with everyone. Rafer bought a diamond-studded gold-whatever watch, but it is only for show off, not for showing time (no nuts and bolts inside?) So Yao always asks Rafer:"Hey, what time is it?"
Why not let Sura play for a couple of minutes and score a basket. That would be a nice gesture in this otherwise meaningless game. Also, T-Mac should not make the trip to Utah. Instead he should go to Waco and have another session with Dr. Peterson (?) When we win the championship should the good Doctor also receive a ring.? What do you think?
Rockets get one more look at Jazz before playoffs Houston at Utah, Wednesday, 8 p.m. The Rockets and Jazz will meet in the first round following Wednesday's season finale. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Records: Houston (52-29), Utah (50-31) When: Wednesday, 8 p.m. Where: Toyota Center TV/Radio: FSN Houston / SportsRadio 610 AM Injury Update: G Bob Sura (knee/back) is out for the Rockets; F Andrei Kirilenko (thumb) and G Gordan Giricek (sore right side) are probable for the Jazz. Jazz Update: The Northwest Division champs aren't exactly playing their best basketball heading into the postseason. Despite getting a big win over the Rockets on April 1, the Jazz have dropped seven of their last 10 games. The slide ending up costing Utah home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The upside is they're getting healthier. Andrei Kirilenko returned from a thumb fracture on Monday night. Projected Starting Lineup: ROCKETS Pos Player PPG RPG G Rafer Alston 13.4 3.5 G Tracy McGrady 24.6 5.3 F Shane Battier 10.2 4.2 F Chuck Hayes 5.6 6.7 C Yao Ming 25.0 9.4 JAZZ Pos Player PPG RPG G Deron Williams 16.4 3.4 G Derek Fisher 10.1 1.8 F Andrei Kirilenko 8.4 4.7 F Carlos Boozer 21.1 11.8 C Mehmet Okur 17.6 7.3 Damien Pierce Rockets.com Staff Writer HOUSTON -- Nearly two weeks ago, the Rockets figured to be arriving in Salt Lake City for Wednesday's regular season finale with home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs on the line. So much for the drama. Having secured the fourth best record in the Western Conference thanks to Monday's triumph over the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets' latest showdown with the Utah Jazz should be a tamer affair than expected. Regardless of what happens Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, the Rockets and Jazz are locked into their playoff spots and know they'll be opening the postseason this weekend in Houston. Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and others are expected in uniform for Wednesday's game, but Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was noncommital about his starters' playing time for the finale following Monday's game. Depending on how much playing time the starters get from each team, the final game of the regular season could be more of a rehearsal than playoff preview for the upcoming series between the two franchises. "Any time you go out there, you owe it to whoever you're playing in front of to go out and play as hard as you can," Van Gundy said. "I'll decide what I think is best after I have time to think about it." The Rockets (52-29) have received a much-needed confidence boost heading into the playoffs over the past two weeks. Since enduring a small slide to begin the month, the Rockets have put together a five-game winning streak and surged past the Jazz in the race for home-court advantage. They already earned their best record since 1997. The Rockets might not want to take a chance of disrupting that rhythm by resting their starters on Wednesday. "You always play to win," Rockets point guard Rafer Alston said. "You don't want to look at is as you're locked into the matchup. You want to sharpen up your skills and sharpen up things that you need to work on. And for us being on a winning streak, we want to stay in a rhythm. We need to go out and stay in a flow that we like." The Jazz certainly have some incentive to not treat Wednesday's game as a scrimmage. Unlike the Rockets, Utah has been struggling to the finish. They've dropped seven of their past 10 games and couldn't make a 2 1/2-game lead over the Rockets for the fourth best record in the West hold up after beating Houston on April 1. The Jazz have won two of three meetings from the Rockets so far this season. "We consider it an eight-game series," Rockets coach Yao Ming said. "It depends on how we're going to treat it. We can play hard for a confidence advantage or we can rest. It's up to coach. If he puts me out on the court, I'm just running like (I did against Phoenix)." How much Yao and Co. play will depend on their coach's line of thinking. But if the Rockets' starters are mere spectators on Wednesday night, they'll certainly use the rest wisely considering what's ahead. "We know it's going to be a physical series," Alston said. So how many minutes do you guys think our starters will get?
oh my badd......the link http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Rockets_get_one_more_look_at_J-221400-34.html
i see the starters playing the first quater to try out new things on utah on offense and defense, then sit the rest of the game
yao and tmac will play the first. sit the 2nd. start the third, sit at around midway through the 3rd. so around 15-18 mins.
I know that Bonzi Wells is not going to play - but Kirk Snyder better get some minutes. He hasn't played in the last few games -he should most likely get a lot of minute this game.
The Jazz win...because for about the next 6-7 games, this is all the winning they are going to do if you catch my drift?
The Rockets have all the momentum right now. If we play our starters, and the Jazz (whose pride is hurt) beat us, then it gives back a little swagger to the Jazz. I would rather have the HCA than reclaim a little swagger, but if I'm the Rockets, I don't give them a chance to prove anything. Someone mentioned Detroit, and I agree it would be nice to get HCA over them, but there are too many possibilities on both ends to worry about anything more than Utah right now. We have a lot more to loose than gain, by playing our starterd Wednesday. I hope JVG agees.
On the other hand, if we go in there with Swagger and just blow them out of the water at home starters vs starters it sends them plummeting into an even farther hole... gives them a few days to think about the beating coming their way.
Well, I don't know. It's kind of like giving a guy back his sword after he's dropped it. I just never understood that in the movies. I don't get it here either. The Rockets should barely even acknowledge the Jazz's existence Wednesday. That'll keep them in their place.
wasnt there a player on the celtics who was a coach/player.......i think it was bill russel anyways imagine yao coaching and JVG playing center lol
jvg should try to mess with Jazz by replacing hayes with novak for the first 10 minutes then the minute novak hits a 3 yank him and be like we're not going to let you see anymore of our secret weapon. Then they'll be like wtf whose this kid omfg now we gotta think up a plan to defend against him... Then we'll be laughing come the actual game when novak gets no minutes and they wasted all their time preparing for him.
just what i was noticed that guy from the rocket's website must've been smoking something when he typed that.........if he was then maybe the starters really arent gonna play
Its one game... as if our guys are going to lose anything over not playing 1 game... and for the guys in the camp thinking they will lose somthing...or momentum... dont forget about a guys like Novak or Vspan... dont freak out if they come out for a 2 minute stint in a Playoff game and blow... because under your reasoning... they would have all the reasons to blow... not getting play time...
